Brazil - Help Needed

[omariqy]

Hi all

 

Need some travel advice from those who have been to Brazil.  My Mrs has her elective in August and the original plan was to travel around South America, however, I have only 18 days at the beginning of August away from work so it is not enough time.  We've decided to just venture round Brazil and from the research we have done, we have put together the following draft itinerary:

 

Fly from London to Rio

Day 1-4 – Rio

Fly from Rio to Salvador

Day 4-8- Salvador including some of Bahia’s beaches

Fly from Salvador to the Iguazu Falls

Day 8 – 10 – Iguazu Falls

Fly from Iguazu to Rio

Day 11 – 13 – Ilha Grande

Day 14 – 16 – Paratay

Day 16 – 18 – Rio and then fly back to London

 

What are your thoughts?  Any hints/tips would be appreciated!  Anything that I should see that is not on there?  Obviously Brazil is a huge place so I won’t have time to do everything.

Thanks

Omar

[One For The Road]

Hi all

 

Need some travel advice from those who have been to Brazil.  My Mrs has her elective in August and the original plan was to travel around South America, however, I have only 18 days at the beginning of August away from work so it is not enough time.  We've decided to just venture round Brazil and from the research we have done, we have put together the following draft itinerary:

 

Fly from London to Rio

Day 1-4 – Rio

Fly from Rio to Salvador

Day 4-8- Salvador including some of Bahia’s beaches

Fly from Salvador to the Iguazu Falls

Day 8 – 10 – Iguazu Falls

Fly from Iguazu to Rio

Day 11 – 13 – Ilha Grande

Day 14 – 16 – Paratay

Day 16 – 18 – Rio and then fly back to London

 

What are your thoughts?  Any hints/tips would be appreciated!  Anything that I should see that is not on there?  Obviously Brazil is a huge place so I won’t have time to do everything.

Thanks

Omar

Hi Omar.  

 

I have been to Brazil twice but on both occasions I was in either Rio de Janeiro or its neighbouring beaches and towns such as Arial de Cabo etc....

I am flying to Brazil on Tuesday for the World Cup but as I am going to the England games i am not going to be going to any of the places you have listed so i can't update you.

What I will say, is that Brazil is very beautiful and well worth the trip, just stay safe and keep your wits about you. 

[tonyh29]

Iguazu Falls

 

I would go to Buenos Aires from there personally  , it's a direct flight  ... and you can also fly home direct from BA rather than go back to Rio , which you've already spent  3  or 4 days in

 

also I think when you visit the falls you can hop into Paraguay  and claim another country

 

you have enough beaches in Rio I'm not sure what you'd gain from going to Salvador to see more beaches , though there is a bit of culture to take in as well .. how different it would be from Rio I couldn't say

 

No Amazon on your trip ? I would spend a few days doing that if you can (over beaches and churches) ... can be lots of creepy crawleys and bugs though so depends how "hard" you or your other hard are

 

( truthfully it was the best sleep I've ever had when I went but you do climb into bed and spend the first 10 minutes wondering what is flying into your netting or crawling up your bed posts , whilst having nightmares about the preying mantis you just saw eating it's partner and the tarantula that just climbed up the tree next to your hut   )

[omariqy]

 

Iguazu Falls

 

I would go to Buenos Aires from there personally  , it's a direct flight  ... and you can also fly home direct from BA rather than go back to Rio , which you've already spent  3  or 4 days in

 

also I think when you visit the falls you can hop into Paraguay  and claim another country

 

you have enough beaches in Rio I'm not sure what you'd gain from going to Salvador to see more beaches , though there is a bit of culture to take in as well .. how different it would be from Rio I couldn't say

 

No Amazon on your trip ? I would spend a few days doing that if you can (over beaches and churches) ... can be lots of creepy crawleys and bugs though so depends how "hard" you or your other hard are

 

( truthfully it was the best sleep I've ever had when I went but you do climb into bed and spend the first 10 minutes wondering what is flying into your netting or crawling up your bed posts , whilst having nightmares about the preying mantis you just saw eating it's partner and the tarantula that just climbed up the tree next to your hut   )

 

 

Thanks.  I was thinking of adding the Amazon.  I don't want to spend lots of time travelling so not sure if I could do Buenos Aires as well.  You're probably right we could cut down our time in Rio or Salvador.  

[omariqy]

Think we might reduce our time in Salvador and not do Paratay so that we can do either the Amazon or Buenos Aires!

[Djemba_Villan]

Well, I'm fairly well placed to offer advice as I did an almost identical trip last year. Ours, for the record covered - LON-New York(2 ni)-Rio(3ni)-Ihla Grande(3ni)-Paratay(2ni)-Sao Paolo(1ni)-Iguazzu(2ni)-Overnight bus-Buenos Aires(3ni)-LON

I'm envious of the fact that you have slightly more time available to you, as I can honestly say, you'll have an absolutely fantastic trip! 

Highlights for me were Rio, Ihla Grande and Iguazzu.

If you wanted to include the Amazon or Buenos Aires, you could do a lot worse than drop Paraty IMO - It was enjoyable, but it'll get lost amongst the other places you're visiting. A lovely beach, a short bus ride from Paraty was Trinidade...you might want to investigate whether this place might compensate for dropping Salvador if you're intent on the amazon.

 

Buenos Aires, this might be controversial, but I wasn't overawed by the place. It was comparable to a scruffy European City, like a Paris without the obvious sights. It did have pretty amazing steaks though. You might want to fly back from here, in which case, get the overnight bus from Puerto Iguassu. It takes a while, but the busses are very comfortable, the only annoyance is the constant drug checkpoints. I'm not sure if they are always as regular as when we were there however. If you're hostelling, I recommend Milhouse hostel..it had a good atmosphere, was cheap, but not full of 17 year olds.

Rio - Mind blowing. I absolutely loved this city. Similarly, Iguazzu is the most impressive natural sight I've seen. 2 days barely seemed enough, but if you're on a tight schedule, you'll have no choice.

I can't comment on Salvador. Lots of people recommended it to us however, similarly with Forteleza in the north.

 

Depending upon what you and your missus are like, one additional option might be to visit a working estancia. I had my heart set on one, but had to settle for a tourist one in Buenos Aires, however with your additional time, it might be an option. This was the one I was thinking of - http://panagea-uruguay.blogspot.co.uk/ - it also has the benefit of ticking of Uruguay if you so wished.

 

Sao Paolo - I personally enjoyed it, it's a metropolis of a city, slightly rough once you venture away from the nice areas, worth a stopover if it fits, but not a place to aim for. We only went there to hook up with a few girls who we'd 'befriended' in Rio

I've probably not helped at all, but If you need any specific advice, don't hesitate to ask. All I would say is:-

 

Dont listen too much to the stories regarding safefy in places like Rio...it's overblown IMO - we both felt very safe
Don't skimp on your time in Ihla Grande or Iguazzu

Go to Lapa in Rio for some very enjoyable nightlife
Lopes Mendes beach on Ihla Grande...as nice a beach (and enjoyable boat + trek) as you're ever likely to experience
Invest in a good SLR camers
Enyoy Caiprinhas and acai fruit

Be careful not to be caught gawping at the Brazilian girls, your Mrs may not appreciate it
Do your best to get some Reals before you leave. Withdrawing money in Brazil is a bloody nightmare, as it's pretty sporadic which cashpoints work with UK banks at any one time.
Learn a tiny bit of Portugese before you leave, its MASSIVELY appreciated and if my experience is anything to go by, they'll really like you for making the effort.

Again, anything else, please ask.
 

Edited May 30, 2014 by Djemba_Villan

[tonyh29]

Iguazu flight time to BA is about the same as Rio (2 hrs)

 

would give you a slightly longer flight time going home  but not a huge amount more travelling overall

 

Manaus seems to be a good base for the Amazon , though it's still 100 km away from the airport   ...this bloke seems to be getting good reviews on Trip Advisor

 

no direct flight to Iguazu from Manaus so you'd have to head back via Rio  ..or you can get a direct flight to Manaus from Lisbon ..or even get a direct flight there from Miami ... so keep heading South rather than doubling back on yourself

 

 

 

 

Edit : think Djemba may have already sorted this for you

Edited May 30, 2014 by tonyh29

[omariqy]

Thanks both.  I may be back with some more questions!

[omariqy]

Well, I'm fairly well placed to offer advice as I did an almost identical trip last year. Ours, for the record covered - LON-New York(2 ni)-Rio(3ni)-Ihla Grande(3ni)-Paratay(2ni)-Sao Paolo(1ni)-Iguazzu(2ni)-Overnight bus-Buenos Aires(3ni)-LON

I'm envious of the fact that you have slightly more time available to you, as I can honestly say, you'll have an absolutely fantastic trip! 

Highlights for me were Rio, Ihla Grande and Iguazzu.

If you wanted to include the Amazon or Buenos Aires, you could do a lot worse than drop Paraty IMO - It was enjoyable, but it'll get lost amongst the other places you're visiting. A lovely beach, a short bus ride from Paraty was Trinidade...you might want to investigate whether this place might compensate for dropping Salvador if you're intent on the amazon.

 

Buenos Aires, this might be controversial, but I wasn't overawed by the place. It was comparable to a scruffy European City, like a Paris without the obvious sights. It did have pretty amazing steaks though. You might want to fly back from here, in which case, get the overnight bus from Puerto Iguassu. It takes a while, but the busses are very comfortable, the only annoyance is the constant drug checkpoints. I'm not sure if they are always as regular as when we were there however. If you're hostelling, I recommend Milhouse hostel..it had a good atmosphere, was cheap, but not full of 17 year olds.

Rio - Mind blowing. I absolutely loved this city. Similarly, Iguazzu is the most impressive natural sight I've seen. 2 days barely seemed enough, but if you're on a tight schedule, you'll have no choice.

I can't comment on Salvador. Lots of people recommended it to us however, similarly with Forteleza in the north.

 

Depending upon what you and your missus are like, one additional option might be to visit a working estancia. I had my heart set on one, but had to settle for a tourist one in Buenos Aires, however with your additional time, it might be an option. This was the one I was thinking of - http://panagea-uruguay.blogspot.co.uk/ - it also has the benefit of ticking of Uruguay if you so wished.

 

Sao Paolo - I personally enjoyed it, it's a metropolis of a city, slightly rough once you venture away from the nice areas, worth a stopover if it fits, but not a place to aim for. We only went there to hook up with a few girls who we'd 'befriended' in Rio

I've probably not helped at all, but If you need any specific advice, don't hesitate to ask. All I would say is:-

 

Dont listen too much to the stories regarding safefy in places like Rio...it's overblown IMO - we both felt very safe

Don't skimp on your time in Ihla Grande or Iguazzu

Go to Lapa in Rio for some very enjoyable nightlife

Lopes Mendes beach on Ihla Grande...as nice a beach (and enjoyable boat + trek) as you're ever likely to experience

Invest in a good SLR camers

Enyoy Caiprinhas and acai fruit

Be careful not to be caught gawping at the Brazilian girls, your Mrs may not appreciate it

Do your best to get some Reals before you leave. Withdrawing money in Brazil is a bloody nightmare, as it's pretty sporadic which cashpoints work with UK banks at any one time.

Learn a tiny bit of Portugese before you leave, its MASSIVELY appreciated and if my experience is anything to go by, they'll really like you for making the effort.

Again, anything else, please ask.

Can I ask what your budget was like ?

[omariqy]

Brazil booked!  Flying out with BA on the 20th August, returning on the 8th September.  Almost three weeks.  We start off in Rio for 3 nights at Miramar (?).  We now need to plan the rest of the trip.

Ideally, we can tick off the following

 

- Amazon Boat Cruise

- Iguazu Falls

- Paratay

- Ilha Grande

 

Should have enough time to to do it!

[Wainy316]

Rio is amazing, could possibly do with more than 3 days but you'll love it anyway. Looks like Miramar is on Ipanema beach in the south zone, so you're just up from Copacabana in the most affluent area with all the bars. Good work!

[omariqy]

We'll probably do a couple of nights at the end in Rio too.

[Lombardo]

I did a similiar trip a couple of years back. Flew to Rio, then onto iguazzu, then up to Manaus for the Amazon. Once we did that, headed over to Fortaleza and out to Canoa Quebrada for a week and then back down to Rio and home. Would recommend the Amazon if you can make it. We did a 3 night tour with Gero tours, booked it when we got out there. Worked out pretty well. A few sleepless nights in the jungle but worth it though. Plenty of animals and all that craic.

Lapa in Rio was a great spot for street parties. The Caipirinhas were lethal tho!!!

2 days is plenty for Iguazzu. You can do it by flying in one morning and out the next evening. Especially if you're stuck for time.

[Djemba_Villan]

 

my original post

Can I ask what your budget was like ?

 

Hmm. I'd say overall I spent £1500 for the 2.5 weeks.

 

Flights = £620

Accom = ~£20-25/night (Staying in a mixture of higher end hostels and the occasional apartment to ourself

Internal Travel = ~£100 including 2 night busses and minibus/boat to Ihla Grande  - arrange this through your hotel/hostel

Drinks = Cheaper than UK but not Thailand cheap. Expect to pay ~£2 per pint and ~£3-5 per cocktail.

Food = Not as cheap as hoped, but slightly down on UK prices.

 

Hope you have a cracking time.

[StanBalaban]

I've just come back from Sao Paulo and have a great time.

Wish someone had told me that SP is not exactly the warmest place at this time of year, but Rio and Salvador will be nice and hot.

 

If you don't mind not being on Copacabana beach when in Rio, the H hotel in Niteroi are doing some great deals for a 5 star at the moment.  

[omariqy]

 

 

my original post

Can I ask what your budget was like ?

 

Hmm. I'd say overall I spent £1500 for the 2.5 weeks.

 

Flights = £620

Accom = ~£20-25/night (Staying in a mixture of higher end hostels and the occasional apartment to ourself

Internal Travel = ~£100 including 2 night busses and minibus/boat to Ihla Grande  - arrange this through your hotel/hostel

Drinks = Cheaper than UK but not Thailand cheap. Expect to pay ~£2 per pint and ~£3-5 per cocktail.

Food = Not as cheap as hoped, but slightly down on UK prices.

 

Hope you have a cracking time.

 

 

Thanks. 

 

We managed to get direct return flights with BA for £800 which I thought was pretty decent, considering the cheapest flight available was £730 with a stopover and total travelling time of 16 hours.

 

We've got a really nice hotel for the first few nights and plan to do so again for the last few nights but every other night our budget is about £80 per night.  We don't drink so that shouldn't be a problem.  Food wise we will have to stick to fish and/or veg as I doubt there will be many halal options!

[Wainy316]

my original post

Can I ask what your budget was like ?

Hmm. I'd say overall I spent £1500 for the 2.5 weeks.

Flights = £620

Accom = ~£20-25/night (Staying in a mixture of higher end hostels and the occasional apartment to ourself

Internal Travel = ~£100 including 2 night busses and minibus/boat to Ihla Grande - arrange this through your hotel/hostel

Drinks = Cheaper than UK but not Thailand cheap. Expect to pay ~£2 per pint and ~£3-5 per cocktail.

Food = Not as cheap as hoped, but slightly down on UK prices.

Hope you have a cracking time.

Thanks.

We managed to get direct return flights with BA for £800 which I thought was pretty decent, considering the cheapest flight available was £730 with a stopover and total travelling time of 16 hours.

We've got a really nice hotel for the first few nights and plan to do so again for the last few nights but every other night our budget is about £80 per night. We don't drink so that shouldn't be a problem. Food wise we will have to stick to fish and/or veg as I doubt there will be many halal options!

You may struggle on the meat front, they do seem quite carnivorous. The most common meal I saw was a big chunk of meat of you're choosing then on a separate plate you get chips, rice, some kind of beans and some crumb powder to roll your meat in.

I did read they like their seafood in Rio though.

[Wainy316]

Edit: Wrong thread

Edited June 30, 2014 by Wainy316

[omariqy]

I did a similiar trip a couple of years back. Flew to Rio, then onto iguazzu, then up to Manaus for the Amazon. Once we did that, headed over to Fortaleza and out to Canoa Quebrada for a week and then back down to Rio and home. Would recommend the Amazon if you can make it. We did a 3 night tour with Gero tours, booked it when we got out there. Worked out pretty well. A few sleepless nights in the jungle but worth it though. Plenty of animals and all that craic.

Lapa in Rio was a great spot for street parties. The Caipirinhas were lethal tho!!!

2 days is plenty for Iguazzu. You can do it by flying in one morning and out the next evening. Especially if you're stuck for time.

 

How easy was it to get from Iguazu to Manaus?

[Lombardo]

From what I can remember we flew through São Paolo to get there. Evening flight from Manaus to São Paolo and then late flight to get up to Manaus. Got there at 2am in the morning so would advise booking hotel etc before you go to Manaus. Transfers from the airport to the hotel would be good to.